


Wishing Fountain

by that_fandomlife



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Feels, Bittersweet Ending, Flashbacks, M/M, Post-Break Up, light fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-02
Packaged: 2018-11-03 15:35:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10970226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/that_fandomlife/pseuds/that_fandomlife
Summary: "I'll never stop loving you," Jun suddenly said, "I'll never forget how amazing you made me feel. You were my first love, and you never forget your first love."Minghao quickly breathed. He looked away, tears threatening to fall down his face."Goodbye Jun."





	Wishing Fountain

**Author's Note:**

> This took me almost two weeks to write and edit, so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did with all the work I put into it to make it good. Enjoy! ^.^
> 
> Also, sort of based off of Astro's song 'First Love/Innocent Love.'

Silence sat between them. The air was thick. The tension was thick. It only continued to grow as every second passed by. Neither of them could find the right words. How could they, after the situation they found themselves in?

Tears started to stream down Jun's face. He tightly held Minghao's hands in his as Minghao sat across from him. They were sitting at the water fountain that sat in the middle of the park. Minghao called for Jun to meet him, which he did, even though he knew what was to come. After the escalating problems and arguments, Jun knew the inevitable was coming; he just didn't want to believe it was going to happen.

Minghao sniffled. Jun knew Minghao hated crying in front of people, even in front of him, his own boyfriend. Jun knew Minghao wasn't going to let him see them, especially now.

"It... It's for the best," Minghao finally said, blinking tears away.

"Y-Yeah," Jun whispered as tears continued to fall down his face.

Minghao sighed.

"I... I have to go."

Minghao pulled his hands out of Jun's. He choked on unseen tears before he stood up. He started to walk away from the water fountain, the water fountain in which they first meet.

"Hao?" Jun called out.

Minghao looked back with confusion drawn on his face.

"Yeah?"

Jun stood up. He ran towards Minghao and stood in front of him. Minghao looked up to meet Jun's eyes, because of the height difference. Jun pulled something out of his jacket, and Minghao could see that it was an envelope.

"Here. I um... I wrote something for you. Think of it as a... final gift, from me," Jun said.

Minghao nodded, taking the letter from Jun.

"Thanks."

"I'll never stop loving you," Jun suddenly said, "I'll never forget how amazing you made me feel. You were my first love, and you never forget your first love."

Minghao quickly breathed. He looked away, tears threatening to fall down his face.

"Goodbye Jun."

And that's when Jun knew it was over. Minghao didn't call him Junnie, babe, lovely, just 'Jun.' Minghao hadn't called him 'Jun' ever since before they started dating. Hearing it come out of Minghao's mouth was a foreign feeling, and they both knew it.

Minghao quickly walked away before Jun could see the tears that were streaming down his face. Minghao wasn't going to let him see the tears because it meant they would try to fix what was already broken beyond repair.

___

_Jun was sitting on the edge of the water fountain, writing a new poem for his creative writing class. With his friend and roommate, Jeonghan, and his boyfriend, Joshua, furiously making out in the other room, Jun found it hard to focus in his dorm. The water fountain was his comfort, his serenity, his place of peace, with the water calmly floating out and gently splashing into the pool of water under it. The natural flow brought out his creativity and his sense of inspiration._

**_"I wish for an another successful school year," Jun heard someone say, in Mandarin._ **

_He looked up. It wasn't common for someone to speak Chinese, in **Korea** , but he knew it could happen. He looked to his left and saw someone, one of the most beautiful boys he'd ever seen._

_The boy looked skinny and shorter than Jun. He had soft, brown, fluffy hair that was slightly swept up from his forehead. He had wide, almond brown eyes that had a touch of sweetness in them. He wore a white t-shirt with blue stripes, black skinny jeans, and white canvas shoes that fit his slender body. The boy softly smiled as he flipped a coin and watched it into the fountain. It was a smile that could bring out the comfort and calmness within someone. It was beautiful, unique, and had its own sort of sweetness._

_Jun was so focused on the boy that he didn't even notice that him was looking back at him._

_"Hey um... you didn't hear that... did you?" He asked._

_Jun snapped out of his faze and focused on the boy._

_"I... I did, but I don't think you should be embarrassed about it. That's what water fountains are for, right?" Jun asked._

_"I mean, I would think so. I come here whenever I want to make a wish. I sort of believe in the whole 'water fountain' and wishes thing. My family and I did a lot of this I lived back in China. It's kind of dumb, but it helps with the homesickness," he replied, "I know. It's also kind of dumb that I've been here for awhile and I still get homesick."_

_"It's okay. I mean, I've been here for three years and my homesickness didn't fade until the middle of last year. Korea has a lot to offer, and the culture is nice so I've grown to love it. The same will probably go for you," Jun said, "I didn't know you were Chinese, until I hear you speak Mandarin of course, and I haven't really seen you around either. I'm Chinese too. How long have you been here, and where are you from?"_

_"I've been here for two years. This is my second year here at this university, and I'm from Anshan, Liaoning."_

_"Cool. I'm from Shenzhen."_

_He smiled and walked over to Jun. He sat down next to him._

_"I'm Xu Minghao," he said with a slight bow._

_"I'm Wen Junhui, but you can call me Jun," Jun said, returning the gesture._

_"Can I join you? You look like you could use some company."_

_Jun smiled._

_"Yes, of course."_

___

That night, Jun slowly walked back to the apartment he shared with his friend, Yoon Jeonghan. His head spun as his heart pounded against his chest. Minghao's words echoed in his head.

_"It's... It's for the best."_

The inevitable happened, and he still couldn't believe it. Minghao was his life, his entire world, his reason for existing, and now, it suddenly ended. It was suddenly gone. Jun always thought they would be able to fix things, pick themselves up, and move along, but that wasn't the case this time.

Once Jun got to the apartment building, he pulled the door open. Once he was inside, he walked past the front desk and trudged to the elevator and walked inside. He pressed the '3' button. He felt the elevator move up as the strength to hold in his tears slowly started to dissipate.

_"Stay strong Jun. Stay strong."_

The elevator beeped, and Jun looked up. He saw he was on his floor. He walked out and headed down the hall towards his apartment. Once he reached the door, he struggled to take out his key out of his pocket before he finally pulled it out. He put the key in the keyhole and turned it. Once he heard the click, he turned the handle and pushed the door open. He walked inside and locked the door behind him.

He stumbled over his uncoordinated steps as he tried to make his way towards his room.

_"Stay strong Jun. Stay strong."_

He walked to the hallway where his and Jeonghan's rooms were. He pressed his hand against the wall to keep his balance. He had to make it to his room.

Once he reached his room, he fell onto his bed and finally let the tears fall. Sobs racked Jun's body as the scene only unfolded over and over in his mind, the scene only scarring his memory.

_"Goodbye Jun."_

Jun reached over and grabbed a picture frame that was sitting on his nightstand. He looked at the picture through his blurry eyes. Minghao was sitting on his lap while he had his arms wrapped around Minghao's waist. They were both smiling widely. Of course, they were smiling as if they won the lottery. It was their one year anniversary, one year of being in love and being with each other.

People called them the perfect couple, the one couple everyone wanted to be like. That was the case... until their own personal problems arose.

Jun set the picture frame back on the nightstand as tears continued to flow down his face. He closed his eyes and clutched his pillow, tears soaking the pillowcase.

"Jun? Are you home?" Jun heard Jeonghan ask.

His door creaked open.

"I thought I heard you come in. Joshua and I-"

Jeonghan stopped talking.

"Jeonghan," Jun softly cried.

"Jun," Jeonghan whispered, "Minghao... did he..."

Jun slightly nodded.

"Oh."

He heard the door open more. Footsteps quickly walked in. He felt the end of his mattress fall because of the sudden weight.

"Did... Did you want to talk about it?" Jeonghan asked, "Or maybe you could talk to Joshua too. He's friends with Minghao, so I think he would be able to help you more."

Jun opened his eyes and lifted his head up. He wiped his cheeks as looked towards Jeonghan and Joshua, who were sitting at the end of his bed. More and more worry were drawn on their faces as they observed Jun's current state. He fell back on his pillow and sadly sighed.

"I think I just want to be alone right now."

"Of course. Anything you feel is right," Joshua said, "Is there anything else you want?"

"N-No. I'm f-fine. I-I just need some alone time," Jun replied.

"Okay... well, we'll be in my room if you need anything," Jeonghan said.

Jun nodded as the weight from disappeared. It wasn't long until the door shut after them. It was then when Jun was alone with his thoughts and abandoned feelings as he let more tears fall.

___

_Jun sat at the table in one of the study rooms. His fingers nervously tapped the oak table as he waited for Minghao to arrive. Usually, Jun ran into Minghao on campus and that was when they talked. This was the first time Jun personally asked Minghao to hang out with him, which made Jun nervous. What if he messed up? He couldn't afford to lose the boy he'd been chasing after for months._

_Jeonghan was an acquaintance of Minghao since Joshua was a friend of Minghao's. Jeonghan and Joshua told Jun that they could tell that Minghao was at least interested in Jun, but Jun found that hard to believe. He couldn't believe the cutest boy on campus could be interested in him._

_"Hey Jun!"_

_Jun looked up and smiled when he saw Minghao walk into the study room in the library with his backpack on his back. Minghao closed the door behind him._

_"Hey," Jun said, "I brought dumplings."_

_"I didn't think we were bringing food," Minghao said as Jun brought out the container of food, "If I knew, I would've brought something."_

_"Don't worry about it. It was really a last minute decision to get these," Jun said._

_"Oh... okay," Minghao said before he sat down in the chair next to Jun's and put his backpack on the ground._

_"I have so much homework to finish before the end of the school year," Minghao then sighed as he proceeded to take out his laptop and books._

_"Same. I feel like the professors hand out more and more homework before the end of the year," Jun sighed as well._

_"Well, there's nothing else to do besides starting our work," Minghao shrugged._

_Jun nodded in agreement as he started to take out his own laptop and books. After settling down, all that could be heard throughout the room was Minghao typing yet another paper as Jun worked on problems for math. Occasionally, the two would grab for a dumpling while they worked._

_Throughout, Jun couldn't take his eyes off of Minghao. He looked incredibly cute with his baby blue sweater hanging off of his small body, and his hair was looking especially soft. Jun wondered how anyone could be this cute. Quietly and slyly, he took out his phone to take a picture, because he wanted to remember this forever. Minghao looked up at Jun and raised an eyebrow._

_"Jun, what are you doing?"_

_Jun froze as Minghao tapped his laptop, waiting for an answer._

_"I was... taking a picture of my friend because he looks incredibly cute today," Jun bravely said, "Also to commemorate our first date."_

_Minghao tilted his head._

_"So this is a date now?"_

_Jun felt his face heat up._

**_"Shit that was not the right thing to say Jun," he thought to himself._ **

_He nervously looked around the room as Minghao looked at him, confused. Jun decided if he wanted to make Minghao his, he would have to stop being scared, be brave, and say what's on his mind._

_"I... I was hoping so because I... I think you're one of the sweetest guys I've ever met, and I really want to know more about you."_

_"Well... I had a good first impression of you, after meeting you and everything. I wondered if this was a date, and I really thought it was after I saw the dumplings and the constant staring," Minghao said, as Jun's face turned even redder, "so this is our first unofficial date then?"_

_"Yeah," Jun said with a soft smile, "I like the sound of that."_

_Minghao smiled then fixed his hair and ruffled out his sweater._

_"Well, if you're going to take a picture, at least let me look my best."_

_Jun smiled and nodded. Once Minghao posed, Jun took a quick picture._

**_Snap._ **

_Jun was blessed with a new picture of his bright, smiling, blossoming Minghao on their first unofficial date._

___

It was Saturday morning, the morning after Minghao broke Jun's heart.

Jun slowly woke up. He looked around and saw that everything was the same as the night before. His dresser rested on the opposite side of his bed. His closet was slightly open with his clothes hanging inside. His messenger bag was on the floor next to his bed.

Jun pushed the blanket off of him. He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. They felt heavy from the night before. He yawned before he got up and opened his bedroom door. He walked out into the hallway and into the bathroom, turning on the light. He closed the door and walked over to the mirror.

He was a mess. Bags and dark circles sat under his eyes. His eyes themselves were red and puffy from the all of the tears he shed the night before. His blond hair was messily tousled and his clothes were wrinkled. That worst part was that Jun didn't even feel better about it at all. The heavy feeling in his heart only grew overnight.

He sighed as he turned on the sink. He splashed some water onto his face before he turned the faucet off. He combed through his hair and brushed his teeth before he walked out of the bathroom and towards their kitchenette. He was done brewing a pot of coffee as Joshua walked out and sat at one of the stools at the island. It didn't phase Jun since Joshua slept over often.

"Hey," Joshua said.

"Hey," Jun halfheartedly said as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

Jun turned around with his mug. He looked at Joshua, who's worry only seemed to grow overnight; Jun could tell from the sadness he could see in Joshua's eyes. Jun knew well that Joshua was an empathetic person. Whenever someone else was sad, he always seemed to feel sad with them, even if it wasn't directly connected to him. Jeonghan once told Jun that he brought Joshua with him to his aunt's funeral. When the speeches ended, Jeonghan saw that Joshua was in tears, even though Joshua had never met her. Jun only expected that kind of empathy now, and he almost didn't want it. He just wanted to be left alone instead of being treated as if he were glass that would shatter at the slightest touch.

Jun sighed.

"You don't have to walk on eggshells around me. I'm fine."  

"I don't believe you," Joshua said, "You loved Minghao, and Minghao loved you too. I know this isn't going to be easy for either of you. I know this isn't something you can be fine on overnight."

"You really have no idea," Jun said, "Sorry if I sound rude Joshua, but I'd rather just be alone, so please stop prying into my emotions as if you know what I'm feeling."

And with that, Jun walked out of the kitchenette and into his room. He shut the door behind him. He put his mug on his dresser and walked to his closet. He pulled out a large box and set it on his bed. It was then where he started to grab everything that was Minghao's, had to do with Minghao, or even reminded him of Minghao. He put every remnant of his and Minghao's relationship in that box, everything ranging from pictures, stuffed animals, clothes, deodorant, letters, and more.

He heard the door open.

"Hey Jun," Jeonghan quietly said, "We're going out... did you want to come with? If you do, Seungcheol could come with to keep you company so you're not just third-wheeling us. It might help you take your mind off of things."

"N-No. I'm fine. I... I need to pack things up... and s-start over," Jun replied.

"You're sure?" He asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure," Jun assured them.

"Well... okay. Call if you need anything," Jeonghan hesitantly said, "Also, Joshua says he's sorry. He didn't mean to make you upset. He just wanted to help."

"Yeah. I know," Jun simply said with a nod.

Jeonghan paused before he walked out. It wasn't long before Jun heard the door close. He sighed and continued to pack away the objects that held special memories.

He then grabbed the same picture frame on his nightstand. He sadly smiled, looking at the bright, happy, smiling Minghao in the picture. He trailed over to himself, who looked just as happy holding the love of his life in his arms. It was then when the tears started to stream down his face all over again. His tears fell onto the picture frame and splattered from the glass covering the picture to the wooden frame itself.

Jun had the love of his life, and now, he had lost him all over again.

He put the picture frame down on his nightstand. He wasn't ready to let Minghao go.

Not yet.

___

_"Alright," Minghao said as he stood up, "You ready?"_

_Jun finished typing the laces on his skates and looked up at Minghao, who was looking at the ice rink with admiration. At that moment, Jun decided that Minghao never looked any more beautiful. Minghao was wearing a white shirt with a navy blue cardigan over it and black skinny jeans. His usual white canvas shoes were put to the side since he was wearing his skates. His brown hair was swept up and over his forehead._ _Jun couldn't stop himself from staring._

_Jun himself had never gone ice skating. He never intended to, but Minghao suggested they go because he thought it was fun and thought that Jun might enjoy it. Jun was willing to spend every moment he could with Minghao, so he agreed._

_"You're ready Jun?"_

_Jun nodded, pulled out of his thoughts. He stood up but instantly started to wobble. He started to fall, but before he could, Minghao reached out and caught him. Minghao started to laugh as Jun leaned on him for support._

_"You're waddling like a penguin Jun," Minghao giggled as he led them towards the ice rink._

_"Hey," Jun said, "That's not very nice."_

_"I never said I was going to be nice today Jun," Minghao said as they reached the rink, "Ready?"_

_Jun nodded._

_"If I fall and break something, you're paying my doctor bill."_

_"Nah. I'll just fly you back to China and take you to my dad. It'll be cheaper that way," Minghao teased, "If you're good, he'll give you a lollipop and a sticker like he does with the rest of his patients."_

_"Now you're just teasing me," Jun whined._

_"I'm just having fun," Minghao teased again, "Just hold onto me, and you'll be fine."_

_Jun nodded and slowly stepped onto the ice. Once both his feet were on the ice, he instantly slipped. He would've fallen again if Minghao didn't tighten his grip on him._

_"Just follow me," Minghao told him._

_Minghao then skated in front of him and held both of Jun's hands in his. Jun would've been lying if he said the sudden contact didn't make his heart beat faster. Jun hesitantly skated as Minghao helped him keep his balance. After a couple of minutes of helping Jun, Minghao skated back and allowed Jun to skate on his own. Although he still waddled, Minghao could see that Jun could slowly skate on his own. Minghao clapped for his success, but Jun's victory was short-lived as he instantly slipped and fell onto his back._

_Jun groaned in pain as Minghao gasped before he covered his mouth with his hand to conceal his laugh._

_Jun looked up._

_"If you're going to laugh, just laugh."_

_Minghao then let out a loud laugh. He looked around and saw others looking at him. He quickly covered his mouth again but only continued to quietly laugh. Jun knew he should've been more upset with Minghao, but with a laugh as lively and precious as his, he couldn't find it in him to even be upset._

_Minghao skated over to him._

_"My first reaction should've been to check if you were okay... but you looked so funny. You were flapping your arms as you fell," Minghao said._

_Jun playfully rolled his eyes._

_"You're lucky you're cute."_

_"I know," Minghao giggled._

_Minghao then held his hand out. Jun grabbed it as Minghao pulled him up. Jun instantly grabbed Minghao's hands to help keep his balance._

_"Let's try this again, shall we?" Minghao asked._

_Jun nodded as they took off once again. Step by step, Jun could glide on his own but only for a bit before he would fall on his back and call for Minghao to help him up all over again. At times, Jun would just sit on the cold ice and watch as Minghao_ _skate around the rink on his own. Jun concluded that Minghao was like a swan. He moved gracefully and with poise. There wasn't any type of flaw with the way he glided. Jun knew he could watch Minghao skate all day if he could._

_Once they returned their skates, they left the ice skating rink. Once they walked out of the arena, the moon and stars had already replaced the shining sun; the street lamps were already on to light the paths. Although Jun's dorm was in the opposite direction, he offered to walk Minghao back to his first, since he didn't want anything to happen._

_"How did you get so good at ice skating?" Jun asked as they walked._

_Minghao playfully scoffed._

_"I'm a dancer; I'm balanced. I have to be if I'm going to do flips and such."_

_Jun jokingly nudged him._

_"And, of course, I used to ice skate a bit back in China."_

_"And there's the real reason," Jun teased, "What aren't you good at?"_

_"A lot of things. You just have to find out for yourself," Minghao said as they reached the four-story brick building._

_"So... I take it as another date soon then?" Jun asked as they stopped at the main door._

_Minghao gave him a playful smile._

_"Sure," he replied, "I'm free next Friday at seven. We can play board games in the game room. I'll bring the snacks this time."_

_"I like the sound of that," Jun said, "I'll see you next Friday then, unless, of course, I see you around campus."_

_Minghao nodded. Before he could walk into the building, Jun leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Minghao's forehead. Under the front light, Jun could see a light red tint Minghao's cheeks._

_"Good night," Minghao said._

_"Good night," Jun said back._

_Minghao walked into the building. Jun made sure he safely made it into the elevator before he walked in the opposite direction towards his own dorm. Jun smiled when he thought of the time he spent with Minghao._

_"Not bad, not bad for an official first date, at all."_

___

It had been a week since the worst day of his life, and it only seemed to get worse as time went by. It's as if life didn't care that his heart was completely shattered because it moved on as if the day didn't even happen. The sun and the moon rose and fell as usual. Work continued, meetings dragged on, and his friends continued to laugh and talk with each other, as usual. When Minghao stopped showing up to their hangouts, they all realized what had happened.

"I'm sorry," his friend, Seungcheol, said after everyone left Jun's place for a Friday night hangout.

"It's fine," Jun said at the time, but it was anything _but_ fine.

That night, Jun walked into the apartment after a long day at work. He closed and locked the door behind him as he slipped off his shoes. He was headed to his room but stopped at the kitchen island, where he saw a note.

**"Out with Joshua. May or may not come back tonight. Don't wait on me." - Hannie.**

Jun sighed then nodded, leaving the note where it was. He walked into his room and sat on his bed. He looked down at his phone he gently held in his hands, his fingers rubbing the dark screen. He pressed the home button, and his heart broke all over again. Every time he turned on his phone, he expected to see his favorite picture he took of Minghao, the picture he took on their first 'unofficial date.'

It was no longer his Minghao. He looked at his new background photo, which was simply a picture of rainbow lights splashed against a dark background. It were nothing compared to Minghao.

Jun unlocked his phone and went to his contacts list. He scrolled down and saw the one contact he was looking for. His finger hovered over the odd name change. Jun was used to seeing 'Bǎobèi,' but now it was the normal 'Xu Minghao.'

Jun's hands shook. The emptiness overwhelmed him. It was becoming more than what Jun could handle. He needed to hear more of Minghao. Being without Minghao was making him go insane. It felt like he couldn't breath without Minghao. Minghao was his oxygen, and now Jun was deprived of him and suffocating because of it. Jun needed him.

With shaking fingers, he pressed on the contact name and brought the phone up to his ear. His breathing became shaky as the other line started to ring. He gulped when the phone stopped ringing.

"Hello?" Minghao's cute voice asked.

Jun froze, suddenly hearing the sweet voice he longed to hear. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"Hey," he hesitantly said, "I... I miss your voice. I just... I needed to hear you talk again. I miss you HaoHao."

Jun could hear Minghao choke on his breaths.

Minghao shakily sighed. Jun could tell he was trying to hold in his tears.

"Jun... you... you can't call me and say that."

"HaoHao please-"

"Please... please don't call me that anymore. I... I'm just asking you to... to not make this any harder than it needs to be," Minghao said, "We can't do this anymore. It's toxic. It's unhealthy. Neither of us deserve it."

"B-Bǎobèi-"

"I'm not your bǎobèi anymore," Minghao choked out, "Jun I... I have to go. I just... I have to go."

With that, the line went dead. Jun brought the phone away from his ear and looked at the call that only lasted a couple of minutes. The phone slid out of his hand and onto the floor as he fell onto his bed and cried for what felt like the millionth time.

___

_"This... This is amazing Jun," Minghao said, "You really didn't have to do all of this."_

_"I had to," Jun replied, "Anything for a special guy like you."_

_Even under the setting sun and the dimly lit street lamps, Jun could see the same pink hue color Minghao's cheeks. Jun softly smiled before he held Minghao's hand and guided him down to the picnic he had set up by their water fountain. Once they reached the fountain, Jun helped Minghao sit down. The picnic consisted of a blanket they sat on, a picnic basket, and two red lanterns._

_"You're quite the romantic aren't you?" Minghao asked as Jun opened the picnic basket._

_"Of course," Jun replied._

_Jun brought out different containers of food. One container especially included dumplings while other containers held foods from their homeland._

_"Dumplings?" Minghao asked, "From our first date?"_

_"What can I say? I'm feeling symbolic," Jun teased._

_Minghao playfully smiled before he grabbed a pair of chopsticks and started to grab the food as Jun did the same. As the two ate, they shared stories, told jokes, and talked about anything and everything. Jun even took the time to feed Minghao the food. While they ate, Jun couldn't stop staring at the new twinkle in Minghao's eyes. Jun realized that the twinkle was only there when Minghao was with him._

_"Soonyoung thinks that we'll be ready for the upcoming dance competition. A bunch of other universities are competing, so I could be dancing in front of other universities all around Korea," Minghao said, "I hope you can come."_

_"Of course I'm coming. It's important to you, so I want to be there. Besides, I want to see you dance. You're an amazing dancer."_

_"Thank you," Minghao softly said._

_Jun smiled and nodded. Once he saw that he and Minghao had finished everything, he put the containers back in the picnic basket. He stood up and took out his phone. He played a song as Minghao looked at him in confusion._

_"What are you doing?" Minghao asked._

_"I was wondering if you wanted to dance, with me," Jun said, "You're a dancer. Plus, you get to dance with yours truly so I wouldn't expect you to refuse."_

_Minghao's blush turned redder as he nodded._

_"I would love to dance with you."_

_Jun smiled then held his hand out. Minghao grabbed it allowing Jun to help him up to his feet. Minghao wrapped his arms around Jun's neck as Jun wrapped his arms around Minghao's waist. They started to move together, slowly, taking slow steps and making sure they moved at the same time and pace._ _As the song played, Jun gradually pulled Minghao closer towards him. It wasn't long until their bodies were connected._

_"You're so beautiful," Jun whispered._

_Minghao looked up. He softly smiled._

_"And you're the most handsome guy I've ever seen," Minghao whispered._

_"I've seen plenty of guys in my life, and I've ever seen anyone like you. You're one of a kind," Jun told him._

_"I would hope so. I want to be my own person, not a photocopy. I want to make my own name," Minghao said._

_"We could make our own name," Jun suggested._

_"What do you mean by that?" Minghao asked, tilting his head._

_"I want to make our own name. I want to write our own unique story. I want my own love story like Jeonghan and Joshua. The difference is that it'd be my own, not theirs, and I only want that with you," Jun said, "Will you create a love story with me?"_

_Minghao smiled and nodded._

_"Yeah."_

_Jun smiled. He pulled away from Minghao and walked over to the picnic blanket. He picked up the two lanterns in each hand and walked back over to Minghao. He handed one to Minghao and held the other in his hand._

_"I wondered what the lanterns were doing here," Minghao said, "What are they here for?"_

_"I was thinking... we could start our own kind of... thing, I guess," Jun replied, "It's like how you and your family threw coins in a water fountain to make wishes. We can make wishes on our lanterns and let them float into the sky, and hope our wishes come true. I'll go first."_

_Jun paused._

_"I wish that... as we take this new journey together, we are able to always be happy and find that happiness within each other."_

_"And I wish that, as we continue this journey, we are able to guide each other through everything life throws at us," Minghao said, "and that we always find our way through it, together."_

_And with that, the two let the lanterns fly into the sky with smiles on their faces. Just as the song started to end, Jun put his arms around Minghao's waist, turned him around, and dipped him. Minghao laughed as he wrapped his arms around Jun's neck and ran his hands through Jun's hair._

_"Now what are you doing?"_

_"Kissing my boyfriend."_

_Minghao laughed as Jun leaned in and connected their lips for the very first time. The kiss was slow, their lips moving rhythmically, tasting each other for the first time. They took in the new tastes and slowly grew to love it._

_Jun smiled against the kiss._

_The one he wanted for so long was finally his._

___

After Jun got home from work, he fell onto his bed. It was a long day, and Jun wanted to do absolutely nothing. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it. He went to his Instagram and scrolled through the feed. He was mindlessly going through all of the pictures of people he followed, which ranged from selfies, nature pictures, and most of all, couple pictures.

Jun hated looking at couples. He hated it because, deep down, he knew he was jealous. He used to be as happy as them. He used to believe that anything was possible with Minghao by his side. He felt as if he were a king, one that conquered life, with Minghao by his side as his queen, or his prince. Minghao told him he preferred either or, so Jun went by both for him.

After that night, all of his thoughts, beliefs, and old feelings were no more.

Jun then saw a specific picture that broke his heart even more. He gasped. His breathing quickened as he stared at the picture even more.

He sat up.

"Jeonghan. Jeonghan!" Jun called out.

Jun could hear him running from their shared living room.

Jeonghan pushed the door open.

"What? What is it?" Jeonghan frantically asked.

"Who's this?" Jun asked, pointing at his phone screen.

Jeonghan furrowed his eyebrows before he walked into Jun's room. He walked over to the side of Jun's bed and bent down to Jun's level. Once he looked at the screen, Jeonghan realized what he meant.

Displayed on the screen was a picture of Minghao with another guy. Jun hated to admit it, but he was incredibly handsome. The other guy had black hair that was styled up. He had brown eyes that seemed to sparkle. He had a wide smile and sharp features. He was wearing a brown jacket, black jeans, and tan ankle boots. Jun and Jeonghan both saw that Minghao was getting a piggy-back ride from the another guy. Minghao had his arms firmly wrapped around the guy's neck as the guy seemed to laugh. They were both smiling widely as they seemed to lean into each other. The caption read 'my noble steed c:.' The picture itself had over a hundred likes.

"W-Who's this, a-and what do you t-think the caption m-means?" Jun asked again.

"Oh," Jeonghan faltered, "Jun I-"

"Jeonghan, please," Jun said, "I need to know."

Jeonghan paused before he let out a sad sigh.

"Fine. His name is Kim Mingyu. He's friends with one of Joshua's friends. I met him once when I went to a house party with Joshua. How he met Minghao... I have no idea. That's all I can tell you."

Jeonghan paused. He knew what the picture meant, and he knew Jun knew too. He didn't know what words to say, especially knowing Jun's current state about the split.

"I'm sorry Jun."

Jeonghan gently patted his shoulder as he stood up and walked out of the room. Jun continued to stare at the picture. He felt worse the longer he stared at it, and Jun knew he should've scrolled past it, but he couldn't.

It made him realize.

Minghao had moved on without a second thought.

He was doing better compared to Jun, who couldn't get Minghao off of his mind.

___

_"So I hear it's your one year anniversary," Seungcheol said._

_Minghao smiled and nodded._

_"It's been one year since this dork asked me out."_

_"Hey," Jun whined, "I'm not a dork."_

_"Come on Junnie. I meant it as a compliment," Minghao said, as he held Jun's hand, "You're my dork."_

_Jun smiled then kissed Minghao's forehead before he pulled Minghao onto his lap. Jun, Minghao, and Jun's friends were sitting in Seungcheol and Jihoon's dorm. It was a Friday night, and they all agreed to hang out, even Minghao. Jun insisted going out for their one year, but Minghao decided against it. Jun asked him why, but Minghao could only shrug and say he wanted it to be another normal night. It left Jun confused, but he knew not to question it._

_Jun watched as Jihoon and Soonyoung played a game on the game system. Jeonghan was sitting on the couch and watching the game. Next to him was Joshua, who he had his arm wrapped around, who was also paying attention to the conversation but also watched the two play. It was a typical scene for when they all found time to spend with each other._

_"Why didn't you guys go out or something?" Seungcheol then asked._

_Jun shrugged._

_"I'm not even sure. Hao just didn't want to, so I didn't question it."_

_"Well it's nice you're both spending it with us," Joshua said with a soft smile._

_Jeonghan and Joshua fully turned their attention back to the game. Jun then tightened his grip on Minghao's waist before he kissed Minghao's cheek._

_"I love you, my bǎobèi."_

_Minghao turned back and softly smiled._

_"I love you too Junnie."_

_Minghao placed his thumb under Jun's chin. He leaned in and connected their lips. The kiss was slow but was also passionate and full of the emotion they had for each other for the past year. Jun moved his hands to Minghao's hips and held him in place as he deepened the kiss. Minghao held Jun's face and held him even closer as the kiss quickly became heated._

_Jun pulled apart._

_"Should we go... before... you know..." Jun trailed off._

_Minghao nodded._

_"Yeah, after we get a picture."_

_Jun nodded. He pulled out his phone and tapped Joshua's shoulder. Joshua turned to him._

_"Take a picture of us?"_

_Joshua nodded as he grabbed Jun's phone. He pulled away from Jeonghan's arm before he stood up in front of the couple. The couple smiled for the camera as Joshua proceeded to take multiple pictures. Joshua handed back Jun's phone, who slipped it back into his pocket. Jun and Minghao stood up. They waved goodbye before they walked towards the door. They slipped on their shoes and opened the door. They let it shut behind them as they walked down the hall and to the elevator. Since Jun and Jeonghan dormed in the same building as Seungcheol and Jihoon, it wasn't a far walk._

_Once they reached Jun's dorm, Jun pulled out his keycard to unlock the door. Once they were inside and the door was shut, they took off their shoes. Quickly after, Jun gently pushed Minghao against the wall. He stood against him and lustfully smiled._

_Jun stared at the beauty under him. Minghao had his brown hair laying flat on his forehead. He wore a black shirt that was tight and fit his body shape along with black jeans that fit his long, lanky legs. Jun would be lying if he said he wasn't turned on by Minghao's current appearance._

_Minghao gave him a sly smile._

_"What are you thinking right now?"_

_"Do you even know how beautiful you look right now?"_

_"I don't know," Minghao replied, "but maybe you could show me."_

_Jun's smile only grew._

_"Gladly."_

_Jun pined Minghao's wrist above his head. Without hesitation, Jun leaned in and connected their lips for the second time that day. Minghao smiled against Jun's lips and quickly kissed back. Jun instantly pressed his body against Minghao's and deepened the kiss. The kiss quickly became heated as they two quickened the pace. Jun let go of Minghao's wrist and put his arms under Minghao's thighs. He lifted up Minghao and held him against the wall._

_Minghao smiled as he gently held Jun's face in his hands._

_"You always did know how to sweep me off my feet."_

_Minghao leaned in and connected their lips again. Jun moved his tongue against's Minghao's lips. Minghao understood his wishes and slightly parted his mouth and allowed Jun inside. Minghao submit and allowed Jun to fully taste Minghao as he had before. Jun's tongue moved around as they continued to move their lips together._

_Jun pulled apart and rested his forehead against Minghao. They slowly breathed as they tried to catch their breath._

_"HaoHao... I wanted to ask... if you're ready," Jun said._

_"Ready for what?" Minghao asked._

_"If... If you were ready to... to go all the way."_

_Minghao looked up with wide eyes before he looked away._

_"I love you Minghao," Jun started, "And I want to show you that I do in a way that all these hugs and kisses wouldn't, and right now seems like the right moment. We've been together for one year, and I can only imagine spending more with you. I... I promise I'll be gentle and slow. I'll love you in the way you deserve to be loved. But if you don't want to, then I'm okay with waiting."_

_Minghao lifted his head up with the same smile still on his face._

_"It's okay Jun. I want to. I want to experience this with you, because I love you too. I know you'll treat me right, because you have for this past year, and I don't think you're about to break that now."_

_Jun returned the same smile._

_"Of course not," he agreed, "Shall we go?"_

_Minghao nodded. He wrapped his arms around Jun's neck as Jun tightened his grip on Minghao. He carried Minghao down the short hallway and to his room. He laid Minghao on his bed before shutting the door behind them._

___

Jun sat at the water fountain with his notebook in his hand. His editor was expecting another piece of writing from him soon, and Jun didn't have an idea on where to start. Even though he was skeptical of the idea, he went to the water fountain, his old thinking spot in college. He sat on the wooden bench as he watched the water flow from the sprouts and into the pool. Even after all those years, it calmed him. It was enough to make him forget about that night.

He turned to his notebook and started to write down ideas.

"Jun?"

Jun looked up. His eyes widened and his breath got caught in his throat when he saw that it was Minghao walking towards him. Jun closed his notebook and stood up. He saw that he was still taller than Minghao.

"Minghao," Jun breathed.

"Hey!" Minghao said, once he reached Jun, "How are you? I haven't seen you since you graduated."

"I'm doing alright, but yeah. I've been busy with work and such so I've haven't had much time to enjoy myself," Jun said, "How are you? You're still in school?"

"I'm doing pretty good. And yeah, it's actually my last year. I graduate in a couple of months," Minghao said, "I didn't think you came around here anymore since Joshua told me you and Jeonghan moved to the other side of town."

"Yeah, but sometimes I come here to think. It's my thinking place," Jun replied, "You still come around here too?"

"Not as much as I used to," Minghao said, "I was just telling my boyfriend about the water fountain I used to make wishes at, and he wanted to see it, so I took him here. Oh, here he comes now."

Jun looked to his left and saw a taller guy lightly running towards them. It didn't take Jun much to figure out that it was the same guy he had seen Minghao take all those pictures with. The styled black hair, brown jacket, jeans, and canvas shoes were the same as Jun had seen in the pictures. Once he reached them, he stood next to Minghao and intertwined their hands together. Minghao looked between them with a wide smile before he looked back to Jun.

"Mingyu, this is Jun. Jun, this is Mingyu."

"Hey," Mingyu said with a smile as he held his hand out.

Jun stared at him. He then stared at their intertwined hands. He then looked up at Mingyu and that genuine smile and that handsome face. Jun hated to think that Mingyu had the heart of the world's most precious guy. Jun hated to think that this precious guy was once his, but now belonged to another tall, handsome guy.

Jun held his hand out and shook Mingyu's hand.

"Nice meeting you Mingyu."

"Well... we have to go to the library. We have a test coming for biology," Minghao said, "It was nice seeing you again Jun. We should catch up sometime."

Jun nodded.

"Of course."

Minghao gave him once more smile before him and Mingyu walked past him. Jun turned back and saw the couple smiling and laughing as their grip on each other's hands seemed to get tighter. He heard Mingyu make a joke, which made Minghao laugh even louder as he playfully slapped Mingyu's arm.

Jun sighed and looked away. He walked away in the opposite direction, unable to think of anything else anymore. He could only think of how, at one point in time, he was in Mingyu's position.

___

_"I have another dance competition coming up," Minghao quietly said, "I hope you can actually come this time."_

_Jun looked down at Minghao, who he had his arm wrapped around as they sat on the couch in Jun's dorm watching a tv show._

_He sighed._

_"I uh... I can't come this time, either. There's this author coming, and I have to help prepare for his visit," Jun said, "I'm sorry HaoHao. Next time."_

_"Um... it's okay, I guess," Minghao replied, "Junnie, can I ask you a question?"_

_"Yeah, of course," Jun said as he turned off the tv, "What is it babe?"_

_"I um... I was wondering if... if you're tired of me," Minghao started, "Because you never come to my dance competitions anymore. We barely spend time anymore, even if it's just studying or eating together. This is the first time we've really been together in a couple of weeks. I just wonder if you're bored of me... and if you're avoiding me."_

_Jun quickly shook his head._

_"Of course I'm not HaoHao. It's my last year here, and I'm busier these days. I have to get all of these things done before I graduate."_

_"Is it worth missing my dance competitions?" Minghao coldly asked._

_"O-Of course not," Jun replied, "I don't want to miss them. Like I said, I'm busier these days. More things are demanding my attention and I can't exactly ignore it."_

_"If you really cared about me and our relationship, you would make time to support me and us. I barely see you anymore Junnie. It's making me question your feelings for me," Minghao said._

_"You shouldn't be questioning my feelings for you. They're just as strong as they always been," Jun said._

_"I don't know that anymore, do I?" Minghao asked, "You know how important my dance competitions are to me, and yet, you always blow them off, regardless if it's the last minute, a day before, or when I tell you about them weeks in advance. You always say 'I'm sorry' or 'I can't' or 'next time.' You're always busy with your writing club, hanging out with your friends, or studying. You never make the time to support me anymore. I don't even remember the last time I saw you in the crowds."_

_"Well I'm sorry I'm trying to graduate," Jun harshly replied, "And yeah my writing club needs me. I'm the president. I have to make sure things are in order or else I could lose my position. This year is just more demanding."_

_"You can't spare ten minutes to even have a decent conversation with me? You can't take one night off to watch me work for what I've practiced for weeks? Do my efforts really mean nothing to you?" Minghao asked._

_"I can, if you just tell me, we can talk. You don't have to hold it in until we're together to have a conversation with me. I'm an open person. You, especially, know that. I know how important your dance competitions are to you, I just don't have enough time to attend all of them. If you want to hear me say sorry, then I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't go to every one of your dance competitions. I'm sorry I'm putting my club priorities above yours."_

_"I don't want you to say sorry. I want you to pull your head out of your priorities and look at what's important to us," Minghao said, "If this relationship matters to you, if us growing together really matters to you, you'll find time to realize what's important to both of us, and why I care so much about you coming to my dance competitions."_

_"I have other priorities that you don't understand. Maybe you should try looking at this from my perspective. Maybe you'll be more understanding then."_

_Minghao scoffed._

_"You really don't get it do you?"_

_"What don't I get Hao? Explain it to me," Jun said._

_"I can't because last I checked, you don't have the time to see what's important for me and for us, so why should I bother telling you now?" Minghao asked as he pushed Jun's arm off of him, "You know what? I can't talk to you right now, so I'm leaving. I'll... I'll see you when I see you."_

_Frustrated, Minghao stood up. He grabbed his jacket as he walked to the door. He slipped on his shoes before he opened the door and let it close behind him. Jun groaned in the same frustration as he buried his face in his hands._

___

Jun pulled his key out of his pocket. He put the key in the keyhole and turned it. The door clicked, and Jun turned the handle and pushed the door open. He slipped off his shoes and closed the door behind him and locked it. He looked up and saw Joshua sitting on the couch. It was a strange sight to see Joshua without Jeonghan in their apartment, but Jun figured Jeonghan went to go get snacks for a movie or something, like usual.

Joshua looked at Jun, who sat on the other side of the couch knowing very well Jeonghan would plop down in the seat next to Joshua when he came back.

"Hey. You're back early," Joshua said.

"Yeah, I uh... I just didn't see the need to stay so long, I guess," Jun halfheartedly said with a light laugh.

Joshua took a closer look at Jun, and Jun knew what he was thinking. Joshua was good at reading facial expressions. He was also good at detecting emotions and uneasy feelings. From the glassy look in Jun's eyes, Joshua knew it was something more.

"It wasn't just that... was it?" Joshua asked.

Jun paused then sighed.

"I saw Minghao there today."

Joshua's eyes slightly widened.

"When was the last time you saw him?" Joshua then asked.

"In person? About six months," Jun replied, "I left early because I saw him by the water fountain, which is where everything happened. It's where we met, where I asked him to be my boyfriend, and where we... yeah. Then I saw him with his new boyfriend, Mingyu. They looked so happy together. I couldn't help but remember... remember when I was in his position."

"Kim Mingyu?" Joshua asked.

Jun nodded.

"Oh yeah, I know him. He's a friend of a friend," Joshua said, "And seeing him with Mingyu made you uncomfortable? Upset?"

"Upset mainly."

"Understandable," Joshua agreed, "Jun, could I offer you some advice?"

Jun nodded.

"I know it's going to be hard but... I think it's time you leave what's in the past and look towards the future," Joshua started, "I understand that Minghao was a huge part of your life, but holding on to him isn't good for you. I know you still have that picture of you and him up in your room, and I don't think it's good that you do. If you keep looking at that picture, you'll just keep wanting to be with him, and if you think that, you won't ever move on."

"Joshua," Jun shakily started, "M-Minghao was my life. He was my world. I-I never thought anyone so precious, sweet, and beautiful could exist. I had him, a-and suddenly... I-I lost him. I-I can't let go, as m-much as I w-want to. I-I can only think about h-how happy I-I was when I was with h-him. H-How it f-felt to have him i-in my arms. H-How i-it felt kissing him."

"Think about Minghao," Joshua suddenly said, "Minghao loved you just as much as you loved him. You don't know how many days Minghao called me and talked about you. One day, he spent half an hour talking about your eyes, your _eyes_ Jun."

Joshua paused.

"Minghao is a sweet person. He would hate himself if he knew you were feeling this way. Minghao wants happiness for you; that's why he ended things. He couldn't provide the happiness that you deserved. He wants better for you. Grant him his wish for you. Let him go. Let yourself be happy without Minghao. It's what he would want for you."

"But Minghao-"

Joshua put his hand on Jun's shoulder.

"Let Minghao go, so you can get what he couldn't give you: true happiness."

___

_"Hey, can I use your phone to call Jeonghan? My phone's dead, and I need to remind him to pick up some milk."_

_Minghao nodded. He handed his phone to Jun and continued to work on his paper. Jun pressed the power button then smiled, seeing a picture of him and Minghao kissing on the lock screen. Jun quickly unlocked the phone. Before he could dial Jeonghan's number, his eyes widened. Jun tried not to gasp as he saw a picture of his boyfriend with another guy. The guy was smiling widely while Minghao was looking over to him. The guy also had his hands wrapped around Minghao's waist. For Jun, it was hard to not feel jealous and wonder who the guy was._

_"Hao... who is this?" He hesitantly asked._

_Minghao looked over from his laptop. He leaned over and saw the picture displayed on Jun's phone._

_"That's my friend, Seokmin," Minghao replied, "I mean, you should know him. I introduced you guys when you all came over for my birthday."_

_"Why is he holding you that way, and why is he your home screen picture?" Jun demanded._

_Minghao narrowed his eyes._

_"It's my home screen picture because I lost a bet, and besides, we're close friends and he's a touchy person. It doesn't mean anything."_

_"It means something to me," Jun roughly said, "He shouldn't be touching you that way. It makes me uncomfortable."_

_"Why are you getting so fired up about it? I didn't think you would care, after how you've been blowing off our time together," Minghao mumbled, "Maybe that picture wouldn't exist if you hadn't decided to cancel our movie date at the last minute."_

_"I told you my literature professor needed to meet with me about something for my senior project," Jun said, "I told you I'm sorry and that I would make it up to you after I have some more free time."_

_"Please stop saying sorry Jun. Sorry doesn't do anything. Sorry doesn't make up for the loss time we could've had together," Minghao replied._

_"What do you want me to say? I'm was happy to get away from you?" Jun asked._

_"Stop saying sorry. It lost its meaning a long time ago. It means nothing anymore," Minghao said, "Just let me finish my paper so I can leave."_

_"Why? So you can go cuddle with Seokmin?" Jun coldly asked._

_"What makes you think we cuddle? I only do that with you Jun. You know that. You're my boyfriend for god's sake. Why would I cuddle with anyone else besides you?"_

_"Because you seem so unsatisfied with me lately. You're always complaining about how we don't spend as much time together as we used to, how your coffee is too warm, or how I bought the wrong kind of sushi at the store. You're always criticizing everything I do and frankly, I'm getting annoyed of it," Jun grumbled._

_"Because you're always forgetting how things are supposed to be with us. At first, our relationship was fun but now you seem so bored with me to the point you forget the small details about us. You forget how I like my coffee, how I like hugs after I take exams, or how I love when you cook for us instead of going out for dinner. It's like you have a disease or something that's making you forget the small things I love about us, and frankly, I'm getting sick of it. I'm getting sick of you ignoring our relationship as if you just need it to call your life perfect," Minghao argued._

_Jun held in an angry breath._

_"Take that back Hao."_

_"Why should I? It's true, isn't it?"_

_The two glared at each other, their homework and project abandoned long ago. Neither of them knew it at the time, but it was the start of the new time, a new time in which everything would start to fall apart._

___

Jeonghan came home from the store, so Jun left Joshua to spend time with his boyfriend, but not without giving him a hug for his advice.

He walked down the hallway towards his room. He turned in and closed the door behind him so he wouldn't hear Jeonghan and Joshua have their own fun if they decided to go that far (but Jun knew they were going to because he couldn't think of a time they didn't). He laid down in his bed and thought about what Joshua had said.

Joshua suggested that Jun move on from the past, live in the present, and looked forward to the future.

Jun couldn't see himself doing any of that without Minghao. Jun thought of the multiple times Minghao laid on his lap and they thought about their future together. Kids? No kids? Korea? China? It seemed like an endless list of possibilities, and Jun didn't know where he would begin, but he knew for sure that, wherever Minghao went, he would go too, because Minghao was his home, his address.

Jun then thought about how Joshua told him how Minghao ended things because Minghao couldn't give him the happiness he deserved.

_"Minghao wants happiness for you; that's why he ended things. He couldn't provide the happiness that you deserved."_

Jun couldn't imagine happiness without Minghao, because Minghao _was_ his happiness. Even through the arguments and problems, Jun was genuinely happy with Minghao. He and Minghao could be sitting in silence as they cuddled on the couch and watching a movie, and Jun would still be happy. Watching Minghao sleep on his chest, slowly breathing while the movie played calmed Jun. He didn't need anything special. Having Minghao's presence with him was special in itself. He felt at peace. He felt happy, knowing he could have many more of those kinds of moments for the rest of his life. 

_"Let yourself be happy without Minghao. It's what he would want for you."_

Jun knew his flaw was that he got attached to people very easily. Once he clung on, it was very hard for him to let go. He knew it was a problem since he was a kid, when he absolutely refused to let his mom leave him on his very first day of school. Throughout his life, his parents told him that problem needed to be solved or else he would have problems arise throughout the rest of his life. Once Jun moved to Korea, he thought it had gone away, but it only came back to haunt him once Minghao walked into his life. He could never really get rid of it.

But he knew he needed to work on it if he was going to let Minghao go.

Joshua was right. His attachment to Minghao was holding him back. Jun knew he could be missing plenty of guys out there because he was still so hung up on Minghao. He hated to admit it, but he needed to let Minghao go, if he was going to move on, and find someone that would fill the hole in his heart, a hold Minghao used to fill. Jun doubted that there would be anyone as beautiful and amazing as Minghao, but he knew he had to try and find him. It's what Minghao would want.

_"I have to let go. It... It's what Minghao would want. Do it... Do it for Minghao."_

Jun leaned over and grabbed the picture frame on his nightstand. It had been six months since he packed up everything else, but Jun couldn't seem to let go of this particular picture. It was his favorite picture of them. He softly smiled, seeing a happier version of him holding his Minghao in his arms. That version of him was gone. He left when Minghao broke his heart, but maybe it was for the better.

Jun held the picture in his hand as he walked over to his closet. He pulled out the brown box that held all of his and Minghao's memories. He looked inside and was reminded of everything him and Minghao had gone through. Even through the bad memories, there were the good ones that made him feel warm and fuzzy on the inside. He then looked at the picture frame before he sighed.

_"Goodbye Minghao."_

He kissed the picture one last time, his heart breaking again before he placed the picture frame in the box with the rest of the memories. He closed the box before he pushed it back into the closet and closed the closet door shut.

___

_"I really don't understand why you're so upset," Jun said in exasperation, "It's stupid on why you're so mad. Who cares if I don't want to go? Your whole family hates me anyway. They probably prefer for me not to go. "_

_"Because **you** don't understand how important this is to **me** ," Minghao replied, "I haven't seen my family in person in a couple of years. This is the first time I get to see them since I left for university. You should know how important my family is to me. You said that's one of the things you love about me."_

_"And it still is, but your whole family hates me. The first time we skyped them, when you first introduced me, they gave me the stink eye, and every time after that, they dismissed me as if I wasn't there. Why should I go to a gathering where all of them are going to be? So they can hate me together?"_

_"They wouldn't. They know how much you mean to me. Going would show your loyalty and support for me. That's what they want most for me. All they want is for someone to always be there for me, and you are that, so you should show them that. If they hate you, then that's their own problem."_

_"I know, but I wouldn't be able to be there comfortably knowing they all hate me," Jun replied._

_"That shouldn't matter Jun."_

_Minghao sighed._

_"Is there something I'm not understanding? Is my family bad? Do you not like them?"_

_"I don't know. All I've seen is the side of them that hates me. I want to like them and I want them to like me. How do I know it's worth it to buy a plane ticket back to China? How do I know they won't judge and hate me? I don't want it to be a waste of money," Jun said in frustration._

_"You don't. That's why you have to take chances," Minghao replied, "This entire argument is stupid. I don't know why we're even debating. If we want to be serious in our relationship, meeting each other's family is a good way of doing that. I thought you would at least understand that."_

_"I do."_

_"Then why are you arguing against me?"_

_"Because I don't want to go where I'm not welcome. With you, I feel at home, at peace. If I go to a place where your parents despise me, I don't feel welcome. I don't feel like I should be there. When your parents accept me, I'll meet them, but for now, my answer stands. I'm not going. In a couple of years, maybe, but not now."_

_"It's been two and a half years since we started dating. Don't you think it's time to meet them? We can even take it slow. We have a break for two weeks. We can spread it out over those two weeks."_

_Jun thought for a moment but shook his head._

_"No. I can't Hao, not when they obviously show that they don't approve of me."_

_Minghao sighed in defeat._

_"Fine. If you don't want to go, I'm not going to force you. I'll just... go by myself. We can fly back again when you're ready," Minghao said, "I have to go back to my dorm and start packing. I leave in a couple of days."_

_Minghao turned away from Jun and started to walk towards the door of Jun's dorm. He slipped on his shoes. Minghao opened the door and started to leave, but before he could Jun spoke._

_"You should respect my wishes too, just like I respect yours."_

_Minghao hesitated._

_"It wasn't a wish for you to come with. It was... something I yearned for, because I wanted us to be something more. I thought you would understand that. I thought you would want that for us too. I... I guess I was wrong."_

_Before Jun could reply, Minghao walked out and let the door shut behind him._

_A couple of days later, when Jun dropped Minghao off at the airport, they stopped at the security doors. Jun sighed before he wrapped his arms around Minghao's waist and pulled him into a hug. Minghao softly gasped, before he wrapped his arms around Jun's neck and pulled his close._

_"I love you."_

_Minghao hesitated._

_"Love you too."_

_Jun leaned in and kissed Minghao's forehead. Minghao pulled away before he grabbed his suitcase and walked towards the security gates._

___

Jun sat on the bench in the park near the water fountain. He watched the same water flow from the fountain and into the pool of water. Once again, it calmed him. He no longer thought of the night that broke him for so long. He could think clearly once again.

He watched as people walked past. Many of them talked and laughed, but Jun didn't recognize the one he was looking for. Jun almost hoped Minghao wouldn't show up. It had been four years since they had a proper conversation. After Minghao and Mingyu graduated, they moved in together in a completely different town where Minghao got a good job offer and where Mingyu was starting his own business (or something like that; Jun wasn't sure). Since Minghao moved, Jun didn't see much of him anymore. Jun was updated on what he did with the social media apps they shared, but it wasn't the same as actually talking to him.

Jun wondered what would happen when they met again. Would things be awkward? Would they still be able to comfortably talk? What if all they could do was sit in silence, just like the night things ended between them?

"Jun?"

Jun looked up and saw him. Four years later, Jun could see Minghao changed a bit. He thought a big influence of it was Mingyu. Minghao wore a brown jacket like Mingyu's, black skinny jeans, and tan ankle boots. He wore glasses over his brown eyes, and Jun was sure they were fake, because Minghao never wore glasses. Jun softly smiled when he still saw the same sweetness in his eyes and his smile.

"H-Hey," Jun said, "You look different than I remember."

Minghao lightly laughed before he sat down next to Jun.

"Yeah, thank Mingyu for that. I allowed him to take me shopping for _one_ day. I allowed him to take me into all the stores he shopped in, and before you know it, I find myself walking into those same stores."

"I think you look good," Jun said.

"Thanks," Minghao said with a soft smile, "You look different yourself. You dyed your hair back to black. Of course, that's the only difference I see. Everything else seems to be the same. Your style, smile, it never changed."

"You know me. I don't like to change my style too much," Jun replied, "How long are you and Mingyu going to be here for?"

"Mingyu's up here for business. His clothing line is making its debut soon so he needed to talk to some people to finalize some details before they actually started selling. I believe we're here for a few days before we go back home for the fashion show," Minghao replied.

"Oh, nice," Jun said.

Yeah," Minghao said, "Why did you want to meet up today?"

"I just... I wanted to talk," Jun said, "How are you and Mingyu?"

"Great. Actually... I don't know if you heard or not... but he proposed a couple of weeks ago. I'm engaged."

"Really?"

Minghao smiled and nodded. He took his hand out and held it out for Jun to see. Jun's eyes widened when he saw the diamond ring on Minghao's ring finger. He reached out and held Minghao's hand to get a better look at the ring.

"I... I had no idea. I've been busy the past couple of weeks with work. I haven't had much time to be on social media," Jun said, "Congratulations."

"Thanks," Minghao said with a soft smile, "And it's okay. You are a busy person."

"Yeah," Jun said, "I'm happy for you Minghao."

Minghao looked at Jun and tilted his head.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Jun sighed and held reached out to hold Minghao's hands. MInghao gave him a surprised look but Jun continued to lightly hold his hands.

"When we first walked in our opposite directions, I couldn't stop wondering what would happen if we never ended. I would often go through all of our memories and what it would be like if we made more," Jun started, "You know my flaw of getting attached too easily, and that continued to haunt me because I couldn't let you go. I couldn't stop thinking about how happy you made me feel. I couldn't stop thinking about how warm your hugs were and how they felt like home. I couldn't stop thinking about all the soft kisses we shared and how I always felt this exciting buzz flow through my body every time. Xu Minghao, I couldn't let you go, and really, how could I? You are one of the most beautiful and genuine guys I've ever met."

Jun paused.

"Joshua told me that you ended things because you couldn't give me the happiness that you deserve, but I think it goes both ways. I couldn't give you that happiness that you deserve, and you couldn't do the same. Minghao, I think someone as beautiful, sweet, genuine, and loving like you deserves all the happiness in the world. You didn't deserve all of the arguments and problems we had. Because of that, I see why you left, and I'm okay with that. Over the past couple of years, I've been working on letting you go, and I finally have. I'm happy to see you with Mingyu. He makes you smile. It's almost a smile I've never seen before. He treats you the way you deserve to be treated, and that's all I ever wanted for you. Whether or not we can become friends again, I still wish for you to have everything you've ever wanted. I wish you find all the wonders of the world and cherish them for your own. You deserve the world Minghao, and I wish for you to have all of it one day."

Jun leaned in and gently kissed Minghao's hands as he softly smiled.

"Thanks, Jun," Minghao replied, "Don't think you don't deserve the world, because you do. You're just as sweet and kind, and so silly and random. That was one of the many things I loved about you, and I only wish for the world to see it when it goes through the dark and rough patches, because it's going to need your goofiness when there's no hope. I wish you find happiness and everything good in the world Jun, because you deserve it for being such a kind and loving person that believed in us, even through our hard times."

Jun smiled and nodded. He then looked away from Minghao.

"You know I'll never forget you, right?"

"Yeah, because I won't ever forget you either," Minghao said, lifting up Jun's head so their eyes connected once again, "You had a big impact on my life. You gave me special memories that I'll always remember, and I'll always be grateful for that."

The two smiled at each other before they looked at the fountain, hoping their old friend had heard them.

___

Minghao sat in the hotel bedroom him and Mingyu shared. After eating breakfast with Mingyu, he went into the bedroom and pulled the letter out of his suitcase. He held it in his hands and examined it. He saw that the envelope was crisp with no creases found anywhere. His name, 'Xu Minghao' was written in calligraphy. Jun always had a beautiful way of writing, being the writer he was. When they broke up, Jun had given him the letter, and Minghao hadn't even opened it, not even once.

_"You never forget your first love."_

Jun was right. Every time he and Mingyu shared a kiss, he couldn't help but think how amazing it felt when he and Jun shared a kiss. He thought about how it felt when Jun took him for his own, and how they always cuddled after. If it weren't for their arising problems, Minghao was sure they still would've been together.

Minghao then looked at the engagement ring that graced the ring finger on his left hand. He thought of the day Mingyu proposed and how happy he was when Mingyu slid that ring onto his finger. Minghao still thought about what it would've been like if he was engaged to Jun.

"Hey babe. What are you looking at?"

Minghao looked up and saw Mingyu leaning against the door frame of their hotel bedroom.

"Oh. Um... my ex... when we broke up, he gave me a letter, and to this day, I haven't read it."

Mingyu raised an eyebrow.

"That was four years ago."

"Exactly," Minghao said, "Yesterday, I had a full conversation with him for the first time in years."

Mingyu furrowed his eyebrows. He walked in and sat down next to Minghao.

"What?"

"Yeah. He and I um... we talked for the first time in years. I think... I think it was what I wanted to hear that night, but... I feel like there was more to it. I think he added more in the letter he gave me that night but... I don't know. These past four years, I've been scared to open it, in fear it'd open the feelings I tried to forget, but I think I need to read it now, now that we've talked about it again and now that our feelings are no more. I want to see if there's anything more to what he said to me yesterday. Mingyu, I um... I was wondering if you could read it with me. I... I don't think I'll be able to handle reading it alone."

Mingyu smiled and nodded.

"Of course."

Minghao then stood up from the bed. He grabbed Mingyu's hand and lead him to the door, where Minghao started to put on his shoes as he told Mingyu to do the same.

"Where are we going?" Mingyu asked.

"Somewhere. I... I think it would be right to read it there," Minghao replied, "You don't have to meet with anyone until later, right?"

Mingyu nodded as he finished putting on his shoes.

"Okay. Just... Just follow me."

Mingyu nodded. He trusted his fiancé, so he followed Minghao outside of the hotel room. The closed behind them. Minghao lead Mingyu into the elevator. Once they reached the first floor, they walked out. They exited the building, and Minghao lead him to the park. Minghao lead his fiancé to the very place it started: the water fountain. Minghao sat down on the edge of the water fountain and gently pulled Mingyu down so he was sitting as well.

"This is the place I made all those wishes I told you about, but this... This is also where it all started," Minghao said, "Jun and I first met in this very spot. He asked me to be his boyfriend here, and this is where I broke up with him. This place has a lot of meaning, both good and bad. He also gave me the letter here... so I think it's right if I read it here."

Mingyu nodded as Minghao started to rip the seal. He careful took the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it, revealing the full letter. He took a deep breath before he began to read.

_Dear Minghao,_

_If you're reading this now, chances are... we broke up. You're probably not my Haohao, my bǎobèi, anymore._

_I don't know if you knew this, but I prayed that that moment would never happen. I always hoped that we would find the strength to pull through. At the time I actually wrote this letter, I wasn't sure on what would happen to us. Throughout our three years together, I was sure we would be able to get over every obstacle together. I saw us as an unbreakable team Hao, and I thought we would be able to continue our journey together. We promised to do so many things. We had so many wishes. We made so many wishes. We aspired to do so much together. I thought we would have a lifetime to do all of it. I thought that, if we could get through this, I could just recycle this letter and forget any of this happened._

_I guess I was wrong._

_Throughout our journey together, I always loved you with every fiber of my being. I loved you through thick and thin. I even loved you when you went behind my back and went to that dance competition, even though I told you not to go because your ankle hadn't fully healed, and yet, you still ended up winning. I was mad at the moment, but it never burned out the love I had for you. Deep down, I was rather proud of you. Even through the injury, you still pushed through, gave it your best, and won._

_That's one of the many reasons why I loved you._

_I knew something was special about you since I laid eyes on you at the water fountain. Your belief with the water fountain and wishes was different, and it gave you a different connection with your family, one that I'd never seen before. Family is important to me, and your belief in the wishing fountain showed how much family meant to you. I grew to love that about you. Throughout time, I grew to love everything about you. I love your smile, your silliness, your laugh, your perseverance, your courage, your drive for your dreams, your sense of adventure, your kind heart, and who you are as your own person. You truly did make your own name. You're continuing to, and I love that about you._

Minghao choked on tears. He never truly understood how much Jun loved him, and now, he finally knew.

Mingyu tightly held Minghao's hand as he continued to read.

_I want happiness for you, even though I won't be the one that's going to be the cause of it. Although our paths do not align anymore, I hope you find the man that will give you the happiness you deserve. Someone as beautiful and genuine as you deserves everything in life, everything ranging from happiness, wealth, peace, good fortune, comfort, and everything in between. I hope as time moves on, as the pain of this breakup passes, you find true happiness. Minghao, I can't explain it, but I know one special boy told me that you don't define true happiness, but you can only feel it. Then, and only then, will you know that it's there, and that it's real._

_I hope you're able to laugh again, because you have a beautiful laugh, and it would be a loss to the rest of the world if they didn't get to hear a laugh like yours._

_Our relationship will forever remain with me. All the hugs, kisses, cuddles, all the 'I love you's,' all the time I took you as my own, and all the times we whispered sweet nothings into each other's ears will forever be with me. Our memories together will always remain with me._

_My wish for you is to live out all of your hopes and dreams. Another wish of mine, for you, is to keep the promises with the lucky man that has the privilege to be with you. You deserve all of it._

_You were my first love, and you never forget your first love. I will never forget you, Xu Minghao._

_Thank you, my first love._

_Best wishes,_

_Wen Junhui_

Minghao's hands shook as he finished the letter. A tear streamed down his face as the contents of the letter finally hit him. He started to shake as Mingyu softly sighed. He pulled Minghao into his arms and gently held him.

"Wow," Minghao whispered.

"How... How do you feel? Do you feel better knowing more?" Mingyu asked.

"I feel better, knowing more of what he really felt. It feels right to know Jun didn't wish anything bad for me. " Minghao whispered, "He wished for me to find true happiness, even if he wasn't a part of it, and really, I did."

Minghao looked up and smiled.

"I found you."

Minghao leaned in and connected their lips. The two quickly connected and moved against each other, tasting each other's familiar lips. Mingyu's phone started to ring, causing Mingyu to pull apart and fish his phone out his pocket.

"You don't mind, do you?"

Minghao shook his head. Mingyu nodded and walked off. He picked up the call and started talking into the phone. Minghao softly smiled as he read over the letter again.

"It's sweet of Jun to wish me happiness even though I'm the one that initiated the breakup," Minghao said to himself, "I honestly don't know what I did to deserve to be with him."

Minghao then looked up and saw the one he'd been thinking about. He was sitting on the same bench as yesterday. He was looking around, relaxed, but also as if he were looking for someone. He looked to be at peace again, which made Minghao happy.

He looked over. Minghao gave him a soft smile as he did the same.

"Hao?"

Minghao looked up and saw Mingyu standing over him.

"It was one of the business partners. He needs to meet with me now, so I have to go back to the hotel to change and prepare."

"Yeah of course," Minghao said, "I have to call the wedding planner anyway, to go over the things we have to do for our wedding."

Mingyu smiled and held his hand out. Minghao grabbed it and stood up. He wrapped his arms around Mingyu's as they continued to walk away. Minghao looked back and flashed one more smile before he turned around and focused on the future.

___

Jun would know Minghao anywhere, so he wasn't surprised when he saw Minghao and Mingyu walk in and sit by the water fountain, at the very exact spot him and Minghao met for the first time.

Jun watched as Minghao read something out loud. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it must have been something that pulled at his heart if it brought Minghao to tears. He knew Minghao hated crying in front of anyone, so if Minghao cried, it was something that hit him hard.

Jun smiled as he watched Minghao smile at Mingyu, the same way he used to, to Jun. Jun might have been broken hearted, but Jun was rather happy for Minghao and even smiled when he saw the two connect lips for a kiss.

Jun saw that Minghao had found true happiness, just as Jun wanted him to. Minghao's happiness was what mattered to Jun, and seeing Minghao smile before and after the kiss was enough to make Jun feel at peace, as if all was right in the world.

Minghao looked at the piece of paper with a smile.

It was then when Jun recognized the paper and the envelope.

_"Is that my letter? Is he just reading that now? Why is he just reading it now?"_

Minghao then looked up, and their eyes met. Jun loved the sweetness that was always in Minghao's eyes, and he knew he would never forget them. They shared a smile before Minghao's fiancé walked back. They talked for a bit before Minghao stood up and wrapped his arms around Mingyu's arm. They walked off, but not before Minghao looked back and flashed one more smile towards Jun.

"Hey babe. What are you looking at?"

Jun looked up and looked up at his boyfriend of one year, Wonwoo, who was holding a small takeout box. He sat down next to Jun, who wrapped an arm around his shoulder and pulled him closer.

"Just... an old friend," Jun said with a smile.

"Oh really?" Wonwoo asked.

Jun nodded.

"Well... I got the cupcakes we were craving for today. We could go home, watch a few movies, and cuddle on the couch," Wonwoo proposed.

"Sounds great Won."

Jun placed a quick kiss on Wonwoo's lips. He pulled apart before he intertwined his hands with Wonwoo's and stood up with him before they walked off in the opposite direction. Jun thought back to the letter he wrote all those years ago.

_I want happiness for you. Although our paths do not align, and I'm not the one that's the cause of your happiness, I hope you find the man that will be the cause of the happiness that you deserve._

Jun saw Mingyu was the one that could give Minghao the happiness he deserved.

_My wish for you is to live out all of your hopes, dreams. Another wish of mine, for you, is to keep the promises with the lucky man that has the privilege to be with you. You deserve all of it._

Mingyu definitely was a lucky guy. He was getting married to Xu Minghao, one of the most beautiful and genuine guys ever. Jun hoped for their love and happiness to only grow and become stronger once they got married.

Jun hoped he would find the same as them with Wonwoo. He hoped he would have something special with Wonwoo, something like Joshua and Jeonghan, who were happily married and living their lives together.

With that last thought, Jun tightened his hold on Wonwoo's hand as the two started to walk to the apartment they shared.

Although he loved Wonwoo with everything, he would never forget how much he loved Xu Minghao, his first love.

**Author's Note:**

> Idk why I keep writing post-break up stuff including Jun sorry Jun you deserve all the love in the world. T.T 
> 
> Thanks for reading. ^.^


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